National Assembly hearings on broadcasting and media were overshadowed by political disputes surrounding Lee Jin-sook, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party. Controversies over President Lee Jae-myung's visit to his father's grave and potential conflicts of interest regarding her participation in the hearings pushed critical discussions on user protection and media policy to the sidelines.
On October 12, the Science, Technology, Information, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held its audit in Yeouido, Seoul.
Clashes erupted between the ruling and opposition parties as soon as the hearings began. The conflict was sparked by Lee Jin-sook posting a photo on her social media of her visit to President Lee's father's grave in Bonghwa County on October 10. Ruling party members demanded her exit from the hearing, while Lee defended her actions, stating she was reporting illegal grave construction on behalf of the public.
In the afternoon, the debate continued over whether Lee's participation in the hearings constituted a conflict of interest. Ruling party members argued that auditing decisions made during her tenure as chair of the Korea Communications Commission presented a conflict, while Lee pointed to a similar case involving Democratic Party member Kim Hyun to raise issues of fairness.
In response, Chairman Song Gi-hun stated that a separate judgment would be made regarding Lee's participation in the audit related to her previous role, adding the exclusion proposal to the agenda. Following a contentious vote, opposition members abstained, and the proposal to exclude Lee was passed with 12 votes in favor.
As political disputes continued, discussions on key issues were delayed. In the morning, questioning on critical matters began about an hour after the hearings commenced, while in the afternoon, it started about three hours later.
During the questioning, topics included user protection in AI, linked information (CI), delays in imposing fines on Google and Apple for in-app payments, and government interference in the privatization process of YTN.
Democratic Party member Lee Jeong-heon criticized the lack of measures to protect youth from short-form dramas and AI chatbots. In response, the Broadcasting and Media Communications Committee announced plans for focused monitoring of short-form dramas and collaboration with relevant agencies to establish a youth protection system.
Democratic Party member Lee Joo-hee highlighted the risks of youth over-immersion in AI chatbots, calling for protective measures such as age verification and parental consent. Chairman Kim Jong-cheol responded that they would support legal and institutional improvements in collaboration with relevant departments.
The need for a right to request updates to linked information (CI) due to personal data breaches was also raised. Kim Seon-min, a member of the Justice Reform Party, pointed out that victims find it difficult to change or stop using their CI even after a breach. Chairman Kim stated that they are working on a system to allow for CI changes and are preparing for related legislative improvements.
Criticism was also directed at the delays in imposing fines on Google and Apple regarding in-app payments. Chairman Song noted that it has been three years since the preliminary notice of fines was issued in October 2023, yet a final decision has not been made.
Chairman Kim explained that they are currently in the final decision-making stage, gathering opinions and evidence from involved parties to complete the final review, assuring that a decision would be made before the end of October.
Concerns were raised about illegal sites like 'NunuTV' and 'NewToki' appearing in Google searches. Yoon Gu, CEO of Google Korea, acknowledged the issue and stated that they would develop measures to limit exposure to illegal sites.
Questions also arose regarding potential government interference in the privatization process of YTN during the time of the Korea Communications Commission. Vice Chairman Ko Min-soo responded that they are currently preparing for a hearing related to YTN.
Additionally, issues such as responses to illegal information on Telegram and the financial difficulties faced by local cable TV due to declining advertising revenue were discussed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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